Muller: It will be tough to match 2013 success

Neymar has lauded Casemiro as the best midfielder in the world after the latter fired Brazil into the knockout rounds of the World Cup against Switzerland.

After sustaining an ankle injury in the Selecao s opening Group G match, the Paris Saint-Germain attacker was forced to watch his team s second match from their hotel.

In a cagey encounter, it was the Manchester United midfielder s late strike that earned Brazil a 1-0 win, and Neymar was succinctly effusive in his praise for his team-mate after the final whistle.

Casemiro has been the best midfielder in the world for a long time, the forward simply wrote on Twitter after the match.

Casemiro é o melhor volante do mundo há muito tempo

— Neymar Jr (@neymarjr)

Having left it late to s…

Xavi has told Ousmane Dembele to stop prevaricating and either sign a new Barcelona deal or find another club by the end of January.

According to Xavi, there is no alternative for the French forward, who has entered the final six months of his contract at Camp Nou.

Dembele has struggled since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 for an initial €105million, and this month s transfer window could be a final chance for the club to recoup some of that outlay.

Barcelona director of football Mateu Alemany told Dembele this week he must leave immediately , which prompted the 24-year-old to issue an angry riposte on social media.

I am not a man who cheats and even less a man who has a habit of giving in to blackmail, Dembele wrote.

Barcelona are …

Real Madrid are not contenders to win the Champions League this season, according to former player Hamit Altintop.

Madrid won three consecutive Champions League trophies under Zinedine Zidane between 2016 and 2018 but, without the Frenchman, exited to Ajax in the round of 16 last term.

Zidane is back at the Santiago Bernabeu with Madrid already guaranteed to finish second in Group A behind Paris Saint-Germain, while domestically Los Blancos are only behind LaLiga leaders Barcelona on goal difference.

Altintop spent the 2011-12 season with Madrid and the former Turkey international does not believe Madrid are cut out for Champions League success this term.

I don t think they are a championship contender, Altintop told Omnisport. I think you can compare th…

England captain Harry Kane will come back stronger from his penalty heartbreak against France, says Tottenham team-mate Hugo Lloris.

The Three Lions suffered a 2-1 loss in Saturday s keenly fought quarter-final tie, sending Gareth Southgate s side home from Qatar 2022 as Didier Deschamps men remained on course for a title defence.

Having converted an earlier spot-kick to level both the match and Wayne Rooney s all-time England goal record, Kane subsequently skied another penalty over the crossbar late on, missing the chance to make it 2-2.

Lloris, who has played with Kane at Tottenham for a decade now, says he has briefly spoken with his club colleague, and believes he will pick himself up in impressive fashion when the dust has settled.

I don t need to …

It all comes down to this.

Whether you re flying high at the top of your local leagues, battling for the top 100 nationally or just desperate not to lose face with friends, matchday 38 of the Premier League is a decisive moment for fantasy football players the world over.

Amid last-minute transfers, wildcards and triple-captaincies, it can be difficult to find true value in selections that could give you the edge over your rivals.

That s where we come in.

Using Opta data, we have compiled a final selection of seven recommended players to draft in for this most dramatic of weekends

MARTIN DUBRAVKA

If you were considering a Newcastle United goalkeeper but just didn t have the guts previously, now is the time to be bold.

…

FIFA president Gianni Infantino expressed joy at the announcement of ground-breaking law changes that should improve the rights of workers in Qatar, host nation of the next World Cup.

It was confirmed on Sunday that the Emir of Qatar had abolished certain restrictions in place for migrant workers in the country, with two new laws passed by authorities.

The changes mean workers are no longer unable to change jobs without their employer s permission, while a monthly minimum wage of 1,000 Qatari riyal – plus basic living allowances for some workers – has been introduced.

Human rights organisation Amnesty International hopes these steps will strike at the heart of the abusive kafala system , a practice that requires so-called unskilled labourers to have a sponsor…

Michael Olise s spectacular stoppage-time free-kick ended Manchester United s nine-match winning run as Crystal Palace held them to a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park on Wednesday.

United looked destined to go second in the Premier League thanks to Bruno Fernandes first-half opener, but ultimately paid the price for their apparent decision to sit on the narrow lead.

Although it was United who survived the game s first scare when Palace hit the crossbar in the 40th minute, they were deserved leaders as Bruno Fernandes netted on the stroke of half-time.

But they committed far fewer bodies to attack in the second period and Olise made them pay, denying United the chance to enter the top two for the first time since September 2021.

Michael Olise s stunning free-kick…

The 2021 Copa America has been slightly overshadowed by the thrill of football potentially coming home but instead of dwelling on the Euros, we think there s a lot of room for excitement with regards to the Copa America especially now that we ve got a final set in stone for Saturday night.

The manner in which we got to that point was as dramatic as you d expect with Argentina battling it out against Colombia earlier this week, ending in a penalty shootout win for the Argentines. It sets them up for an absolutely huge occasion this weekend where they will take on bitter rivals Brazil at the Maracana.

Martinez heroics

Emiliano Martinez has already proven himself to be one hell of a goalkeeper through his time in the Premier League but against Colombia, he took his game t…

There have been few days in Premier League history quite as remarkable as October 4, 2020. 

Manchester United s 6-1 home defeat to Tottenham raised eyebrows, but Liverpool s 7-2 thrashing at Aston Villa a few hours later dropped jaws. Did that really happen? 

Those results at Old Trafford and Villa Park means there have been 144 goals in 38 Premier League games so far this season – making for an average of 3.79 per fixture  the highest in the top flight since 1930-31. 

Here, using Opta data, take a look at the key stats from Sunday s six games.

3.79 There have been 144 goals scored in 38 Premier League games this season, an average of 3.79 per game; this is the highest goals per game ratio in an English top-flight season since 1930/31 (3.9…

Eden Hazard has decided to stay with Real Madrid next season as the club s forgotten superstar clings to the faint hope of reviving his Santiago Bernabeu career.

The Belgian winger was Chelsea s player of the year in 2018-19, his final season at Stamford Bridge, hitting 16 goals in 37 Premier League games and helping the Blues win the Europa League.

Since leaving London as a 28-year-old at the peak of his powers, however, Hazard has suffered a wretched run of injuries that have blighted his Madrid career.

He has been fit for most of this season, but Ancelotti seemingly regards him as peripheral to his plans, and there is no obvious prospect of his status changing.

Hazard has played only 98 minutes in LaLiga this term and just 297 minutes across all compet…